Schumer’s Surprise Senate Move On Epstein Files Fails In Close Vote
Minority Leader’s amendment to compel disclosure of Justice Department documents defeated 51-49; bipartisan support grows in House for similar effort.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) forced a surprise vote on Wednesday to compel the Department of Justice to release all files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, a move that put Republicans on the spot over an issue they have largely sought to avoid.
The amendment, introduced by Schumer to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), was ultimately defeated on a 51-49 procedural vote.
Two Republicans, Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Josh Hawley of Missouri, joined all 47 Democrats in voting against tabling the amendment, indicating a potential crack in GOP unity on the issue.
The vote follows a months-long effort by Democrats and a handful of Republicans to increase transparency surrounding the Epstein case, which has been met with resistance from the Republican-led Senate and the White House.
“There’s been so much lying, obfuscation, cover-ups — the American people need to see everything that’s in the Epstein file,” Schumer told reporters after the vote.
Meanwhile, a separate bipartisan push to disclose the files is gaining momentum in the House. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) are leading a discharge petition that would force a floor vote on the matter, bypassing House leadership.
With the recent swearing-in of Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw of Virginia, who has already signed the petition, proponents are now just one signature shy of the 218 needed to trigger the vote. A special election on September 23 in Arizona is expected to deliver the final signature.
The movement for transparency extends beyond the Justice Department. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), who has been investigating Epstein’s financial dealings, introduced a bill to compel the Treasury Department to hand over suspicious activity reports related to Epstein and his associates.
Wyden has previously stated that his staff reviewed a portion of these records and found evidence of thousands of wire transfers totaling over $1 billion.
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